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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Paul view his secret as?

2. How many times does the postman knock on each door?

3. What is the most distressing feature of Paul's secret?

4. What does Paul notice in the gutter as he walks by it?

5. What does Paul wonder as he looks at his house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Paul feel during the doctor's questioning, and what does he compare himself to?

2. How is Silent Snow, Secret Snow's ending similar to its beginning, and why does the story end the way it does?

3. How does Paul's street appear, according to his description in Part 2?

4. How is the snow acting during Paul's doctor examination?

5. What is interesting about the weather on Paul's way home, and what does it symbolize?

6. What is it that the snow informs Paul he will see, and why?

7. What is the advertisement for in the newspaper Paul finds in the gutter?

8. What is it that leads Paul to believe his secret is snow?

9. When and how did Paul's secret start?

10. How does Paul view his mother's concern at his disturbing behavior toward the end of Part 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the character of Deirdre. What do her character traits represent for Paul? Why does she try to get his attention? What does his response indicate? In general, how does Deirdre illustrate Paul's disconnect with the world he knows? Why is that important to the theme of the story?

Essay Topic 2

While Paul is being questioned by the doctor, his parents react in some very interesting ways.

1) Explain in detail how Paul's mother and father act throughout the entire examination.

2) Which of their responses generates the most significant reactions from Paul, and why?

3) What are the main differences between the way Paul's mother and father respond to his answers? What are the reasons for their differences? Which one does Paul consider to be more of a threat at this point? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Part 1 begins with an allusion to a secret that is not identified.

1) Describe how the secret is first introduced, the analogies Paul uses to present it, and the effect it has on his life in general.

2) Explain why the author does not reveal what the secret is immediately. What is the purpose behind giving its features and showing the results of it first? How does learning about the secret's effect on Paul before knowing its identity add to its impact?

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